Peter was asked by Jesus Christ three times: "Do you love me?" The first time he said, "Do you love me more than these?"  Peter answered him, "I have great affection for you.  I am fond of you." Jesus asked him again, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter said, "I have great affection for you, I'm fond of you." And you know what Jesus asked the third time? He said, "Peter are you fond of me?" And then Peter said, "I've told you already, yes I'm fond of you."

The Greek words there are different. The first two Jesus asked, "Do you love me with an agape love?" Outgoing Godly love - do you love me that way with intent, with honor, with glory, with appreciation, with gratitude? And Peter answered, "I'm fond of you. I have affection for you." And the word phileo isn't a bad word, it's like you have love for a friend.  But it's not as strong as agape which takes good thought.  A phileo can also be kind of like an impulse, a spur of the moment comment.  Whereas, agape love is a godly outgoing concern.  Peter could not rise to that occasion. That's found in John 21:15-17, I'm not going to go there since I've given you that already, but I'll ask you the question: "Do you love Jesus Christ?" Ok, Antion's turning Protestant because he's talking about this, what's he been drinking the kool aid or something? He's been talking about loving Jesus Christ.

Now I know Mr. Denny Luker, the late Dennis Luker, our former president, talked alot about loving Jesus Christ.  He talked a lot about Jesus Christ's example.  He got some flack from people. Oh you're talking about Jesus Christ?  Brethren, let me tell you - if you do not love Jesus Christ, the Father does not love you.  If you do not love Jesus Christ, the Father does not love you. That's how strong it is. 

I Peter 1:8 The same Peter later wrote in the book of 1 Peter 1:8 a beautiful statement we do well to take a look at, and by the way, Mr. Phelps and I did not coordinate what we were giving and I've been working on this for awhile and he's been working on his for awhile, but I am going to talk about - do you love Jesus Christ, why you should love Jesus Christ and how you love Jesus Christ.  So we'll talk about that in a moment, but 1 Peter 1:8 notice what Peter writes.  Speaking about Jesus Christ you'll notice that the last words of the previous verse he says, ....whom, Jesus Christ, having not seen  you love ....agape, you  love with an agape love even though you've never seen him....Though now, you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Do you have that kind of love for Jesus Christ? I have to admit that I fall short.  How many times in your prayers do you say, "Father I love you"?  How many times  in your prayers to Him do you say, "I love your Son Jesus Christ" or you just address it to him and say, "I love you, Jesus Christ.  Thank you so much for what you did." Maybe around Passover time you might think that.  How much during the year do we tell Him and show Him that we love Him?  What is the greatest commandment in the law? Matthew 22:36-37  Jesus Christ was asked about the great commandment.

Matthew 22:36  "Master (One of the lawyers came and asked Him a question) which is the great commandment in the law?"

Verse 37: And Jesus said:  "You shall love the Lord your God (and please remember the Word God can be both Jesus Christ and God the Father.  Now you'll see a lot of the about just loving Jesus Christ, there are a few of them that I'll share both of them, where they'd apply to both, but notice what He says) with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind."  Luke says with all your strength, with all your force.  Do you love Jesus Christ that way?  

Let me share with you some reasons to love Jesus Christ, and then I want to show you how to love Jesus Christ. So, first of all let me give you some reasons, share some reasons with you why we should love Him.  John 3:16, very famous scripture

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. (So God, the Father Himself loved us. Loved us when we were still in the world.)  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

That's the word agape. It's used for love and by the way I'll note anyplace that it's not agape.  Every word I read where it says love is going to be agape, except if I note it otherwise.  Jesus Christ was selected before the foundation of the world. You also find that in 1 Peter 1:20, I'm not going to go there.  Look at Philippians 2:5.  Did Christ have anything to do with it or did the Father say, "You're going, like it or not, you're going down and divest yourself of your divinity and you're going to die for mankind."  Or did Jesus Christ have something to say?

Philippians 2:  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.  (Have His attitude and have His approach but notice: Verse 6:) Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery  (or didn't have anything to be grasped after to be equal with God.  While He was equal with God in John 1:1.  What does He say?  In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, the Word was God, the one  who became Jesus Christ was God.  He wasn't God who became God the Father, He was God the Son as He became Jesus Christ.  But notice what He goes on to say) Verse 7:  But made Himself of no reputation (He said I'll go down there, I'll be a servant, I'll go down there and I'll be born into a country that's already enslaved.  He could have asked, send Me into a free country, send Me into Rome, I could be a free Roman.  Instead He came as a Jew into the world, a hated people at that time, and a people who were enslaved.)  took upon Him the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men.  (He became flesh. We'll see that in a moment.) Verse 8:  And being found in a fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Verse 9:  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, Verse 10:  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and of things on earth and of things under the earth,  Verse 11:  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When you honor and praise and worship Jesus Christ, when you tell Him how great He is, when you thank God for the many things He did for you.  You know what God says: "I love that, I love that when people glorify My Son, when people honor My Son."  We'll see when people love His Son.

John 1, verses 14 to 18 we'll see He became God in the flesh.  These are all just primarily scriptures, I'm going to give you a number of things, a number of reasons why you should love Jesus.  He came to earth, He divested Himself of being in the very family of God as the word of God at that time, the Logos.  He was willing to give that all up to come here for you and me because He loves us without even seen us.  He loved us when we were still in the world and He loved us when we were still in our sins.

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.

Jesus Christ came into the world, He was full of truth, He brought truth, you could count on Him.  You'll see that if you love God, you'll speak the truth.  Speaking the truth goes along with loving Jesus Christ.  If you have love, you will speak the truth.  He also brought grace into the world, you also see that as well.  He made grace possible.  We'll go back to Ephesians in a little while and you'll see that. 

Verse 15:  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying: "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me." Verse 16:  And of His fullness we have all received and grace for grace. Verse 17:  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Verse 18:  No one has seen God (the Father) at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

So Jesus Christ came into the world to tell us about the Father.  He came into the world after giving up being with the Father for eternity, having all the power and might and attributes of God, gave it up for you and me.  Is that reason enough to love Him? 

Not only did He come into the world as a servant, He came into the world to suffer.  He came into the world to take upon Him a lot of the trials and troubles and difficulties that we have in type for a person back at that time, living in His day so that He could know what its like when you go through troubles and difficulties.

Hebrews 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens,(We should be thankful He ever lives to make intercession for us, it says in Hebrews 7:25. He can't wait to help you.  He can't wait to intervene or intercede on your behalf.) Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Verse 15:  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (He had to go through the same type of temptations we do, not as exactly every single thing, but like them, so He could know what its like when it comes time for judging.) Verse 16:  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace (Because He brought grace into the world) to help in time of need.

Grace is help and strength and faithfulness and gratitude and forgiveness.

He suffered and set us an example too.  He set us an example as a great reason to love Jesus Christ.  He came and set the bar pretty high.  To become perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect Jesus Christ said I've kept My Father's commandment.  He set the bar pretty high, we're to follow His example.

I Peter 2:21  For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, (Christ suffered, not just when He was being nailed to that stake or cross, not just when He endured the scourging that they gave before that, but He suffered in life, they called Him a Man of Sorrows.)

I'm going to give a talk during the winter family weekend on happiness.

You know what also Jesus Christ was?  He had the oil of gladness above all of His fellows.  So while Jesus Christ was a man of sorrows, He also knew what it was like to have a sense of gladness.) leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.

So Christ came to be an example for us.  He had to take the suffering He had to go through, but also just His very life itself was to be an example for you and me.  Why did He do all this and when did He do it? 

Did He do it for righteous people?  Why?  Those are really good people, I'm going to do it for them.

Romans 5: 8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Christ didn't say I'm going to come down and die for good people.  He said: "I'm going to die for people."  His propitiation, His sacrifice or atonement for sin is available to anyone, provided they believe, provided they repent and repent means to change, not just a momentary bad feeling about yourself. Verse 9:  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (Because He gives us the strength to be able to carry on.)  Verse 10:  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled (made right) we shall be saved by His life.

The fact that He lives now, at the right hand of God means you and I can have salvation.

When I read this next verse I think, did God do this for me when I was still fooling around, joking around, messing around and not really with Him?  Did God look down and say that about me?  Did God look down and say that about you before you were called or drawn to His way? 

Mark 10:17  Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  Verse 18:  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God. Verse 19:  "You know the commandments."  Verse 20:  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." Verse 21:  (This is where I want to draw your attention to) Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him (I wonder, did Jesus look down and love you?  Did He see you as you were flaying about trying to figure out what life was all about, coming to grips with yourself, perhaps in the throws of sin?  Did He look down and say: "I love that person.") and said to him, "One thing you lack;  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor and you will have  treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross and follow Me." ( I see in you qualities and characteristics that would make you a really good disciple, come follow Me.)  Verse 22:  But he was sad at this word and went away grieved for he had great possessions. (I wonder when God looks down upon us and when He looked upon us before we were converted, did He look upon us and said: "I love that person, I love that person."  Beholding him, He loved him.  Same word agape by the way. 

Take a look at John, chapter 10.  You'll see that Jesus Christ gave Himself for us, for you and me.

John 10:11 (Talking about the shepherd) "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."  Jesus Christ willingly gave it, we'll see that as we read Verse 15:  "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father and I lay down My life for the sheep. (He wasn't forced to, He did it for you and me.  He did it for you and me when we were still sinners needed His help.) Verse 17:  Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  Verse 18:  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.

So Jesus Christ gave Himself for us. 

Let's take a look at John chapter 11.  Jesus Christ loves you.   Jesus Christ loves His friends.  Is that a reason to love Him?  You know when somebody loves you, do you love them back?  Do you honor and adore them back?  Do you give them some attention back?

John 11:5  Now Jesus loved (Agape) Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus.

Jesus Christ loved His friends.  He says in John 15, He called us friends.  We're His friends.  John 15, let me give you the exact verse, it's verse 14.  John 15:14 He calls us friends.

John 13.  Will He abandon us?  Will He stick with us to the end?  Does He love us just a little bit?  Or does He love us to the uttermost? 

John 13:1  Now before the feast of Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own (that's Agape) who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

Other translations say to the uttermost.  Jesus Christ doesn't fool around.  He's not one that says I love you now,  I don't love you now.  Love me, love me not, that type of thing.  He loves you and He loves you to the uttermost. 

JesusChrist sent the Holy Spirit, another reason we should love Him.  How much of a difference has God's Holy Spirit made in our lives.  How much has it made in your life?  Has it turned you around and given you a prospective, has it given you an understanding, has it given you hope, has it helped you have the power to overcome, has it given you love, has it given you strength, has it given you soundness of mind?

John 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away;  (I have to leave.  The disciples couldn't understand what He was saying.  He kept trying to hint to them, I'm going to leave you guys, I'm going to be gone a little while, I'm not going to be here anymore.  What's he talking about,

is He going on a trip, a vacation, what's He going to do? He said: )  for if I do not go away, the Helper

will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send it to you.  (I will send God's Spirit to you.  We find out

God's Father sends it through Jesus Christ, they both have a part in the sending of the Holy Spirit to you.

How much do you value that?  Is that a good reason to love?)

Having that Holy Spirit is a down payment of eternal life.  It's one of the means that you have eternal life abiding in you.  Notice what Jesus Christ inspired the apostle John to write:

I John 3:1  Behold what manner of love  (Agape) the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (Teknon, it's not just sons)  therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

When you become a child of God to another new relationship that you have as a result of this, you're called a child of God, not just a child, but a child of God, God's child.

Verse 2:  Beloved (By the way, when He uses the term beloved, do you know what that means?  My darling children, My sweetie pie.  It's a very endearing term, beloved.  Every time you read it, it carries a whole lot more of an impact when you read beloved.  John uses it a lot.)  now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

So God has given us His Holy Spirit as a down payment of that time when we can be changed from physical to spirit.  That's an awesome blessing.  Of course the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you.  The Holy Spirit gives you a sound mind.  The Holy Spirit helps you to understand spiritual things that you do not understand with just man's spirit in you.  The Holy Spirit puts you in God's church, makes you a part of His church which is another blessing I'll cover in a moment.  So God, through Jesus Christ has done a lot for you and me is the reason to love Him.

So I'm going to go through some of these in rapid fire before I get to the second part of the sermon which is how you can love.  He gave us the church.  He's not ashamed to call us brethren.  He tells us that in Hebrews 2, verses 9 to 11.  Even now He's not ashamed to call you His brothers and sisters because He gave you His Holy Spirit.  He gave us the church.  Remember Matthew 16:18, I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it?  It will never die.  I'm going to give you My church.  What a blessing it is to have God's church, to be a part of His church, to have opportunity to encourage and help one another, to pray for one another, to know one another which is at a great advantage that Jesus Christ never had.  He had disciples who weren't converted yet.  He was the converted one who gave us the church so we can be fed and nourished and cared for and watched over and protected.  He gave us the church so we could help each another.  The love of  Jesus Christ helps us feel safe.  He already said no man can pluck you out of My hand or My Father's hand, no one.  He talked about how you and I as individuals have no fear in love, perfect love casts out all fear so we don't have to be afraid.  He said:  "I will be with you always, even to the end of the world, I'll be there for you, I'll always be there for you."  I gave a paper on  what students like among friends, what they looked for in friends, and what they see in some of their good friends and a lot of them saying they were there for me, they support me, they were there for me.  Jesus Christ will always be there for you and me.  He promises that (Matthew 28:20).  Jesus Christ took upon Him our infirmities, our stripes for us (I Peter 2:24) by whose stripes you were healed.  Healing comes through Jesus Christ because of His sacrifice on our behalf.  He prays for us.  Remember His final prayer?  John 17, He said:  "I don't pray for the world, I pray for you, I pray for these who you gave me, those who are committed to my way of life.  I pray for you."  He gives us access to the Father in heaven.  Remember what He said?  "You always ask Me for things, I couldn't heal this person, I couldn't cast out this demon and we don't have enough food, you came to Me for all your needs.  Don't come to me anymore and ask Me for things.  Ask the Father, but ask for it in My name and if you ask it in My name, He'll do it."  Jesus Christ made possible for us to have access to our heavenly Father and God said: "If you love Him, the Father loves you."  If you love Jesus Christ, the Father loves you.   I'll show you that scripture toward the end.

Finally grace comes through Jesus Christ.  You'll find that in Ephesians 2, verses 7 and 8.  By grace are you saved through faith and not of your own.  That grace comes through Jesus Christ.  I left this one point out and it's a great one.  One of my daughters favorite scriptures, probably many of yours.

 

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.

So, God's there to do good, He's going to make things work out for you.  Is God giving us a greased slide into the kingdom? But He said: "I'll help you, I'll be with you, I'll strengthen you and I'll guide you." 

So, I've given you a lot of reasons to love Jesus Christ, to love God the Father and now I'm going to the next part and tell you how you can love Him.  First of all, you need to tell Him.  You need to tell Him.  I John 3:18 we read this scripture and it's applied to other human beings, but let me take it this way.  He says:

I John 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 

See, I don't need to tell Him, He already knows.  I don't need to say anything.  But let me take it this step.  Check other translations and the sense of this is, don't merely say words, don't merely say words, show action.  Words are not enough, but words are important.  Now you might know that somebody loves you because of what they do for you, but if they don't tell you and tell you often, you might wonder sometimes.  We all like to hear somebody say I love you, especially those who we're close to.  God wants to hear you say it.  Do you say it?  I don't say it enough.  I admit, I get to my routine in my prayers and I don't often say, I love you Father, I love you for all you do for me, I love you for all the things that you've given to me, I love you for the way you are.  I don't say that as much as I ought to.  I don't say it as much to Jesus Christ either, say Jesus Christ at God's right hand, permit me to come to the Father, I love you.  Thank you for giving yourself for me.  I'm not asking Him anything, I'm just praising Him.  Some people get hung up, you shouldn't and say don't ever direct anything to Jesus Christ, even though Stephen did.  He said:  "Lord Jesus."  So he's not asking for anything, he just said: "Receive my spirit."  He didn't say "Would you receive my spirit, he just said receive my spirit."

The Pharisees thought it unimportant to love God, by extension Jesus Christ.  Notice what Jesus Christ says here in:

 

Luke 11:42  "But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass by judgment and the love of God.  (You pass over that whether you say it or live it, you pass over it) These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  You should be doing that He said, you should have love for God.

Let's look at another example here in Luke 7.  Jesus Christ loves to be loved. Jesus Christ loved to be loved. 

Luke 7:36  Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down to eat.

Verse 37:  And behold a woman in the city who was a sinner. (I don't know if they had an open air or they were sitting outside or in a court yard or what.  People knewthis woman was a sinner, whatever her particular trade was, it does not say here specifically, you could imagine.) when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

Verse 38:  and stood at His feet behind Him weeping and she began to wash His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

Verse 39:  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner (If He had any discernment at all, He would know who and what manner this woman was that is touching Him, for she is a sinner.  If He only knew, if He was that sharp, He would know who this woman was.  He would never let her touch Him.)

Verse 40:  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." (I've got a story to tell you.) And he said, "Teacher, say it."

Verse 41:  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty.

Verse 42:  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"

Verse 43:  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."

Verse 44:  Then He turned to the  woman (You have to understand, in those days there wasn't a lot of interaction between the sexes and for this is woman to do this, and for Jesus to allow it, was not what tradition would normally say is good.) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon?  "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet (Which was a typical custom.  You would refresh your feet, you were walking in sand and gravel and whatever else they have out there

and your feet get sweaty and sand blows in and you feet get grimy, so you put your feet in water and wash them, it's kind of a nice thing.) but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head."

Verse 45: " You gave Me no kiss (I came to your house, you didn't give me a kiss of welcoming) but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in."

Verse 46:  "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil."

Verse 47: " Therefore I say to you, her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much (Agape).

But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Verse 48:  And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  She loved.

Jesus Christ said I came to your house and you didn't show me love.  You didn't show me any respect, you didn't have any water, you didn't give me any ointment, you didn't give me a kiss, you didn't even welcome me.  She did.

Jesus likes to be loved.  He loves you to love Him and it's not just some emotional feeling in your heart, it's also understanding and respecting and honoring Him by how you do and what you say, how you live.

Let's get down to some specifics on how you love Him.

John 14:15  If you love Me, keep My commandments.

So if you love Jesus Christ, you're going to walk in His ways because He says:  "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord and do not the things that I say."  So if you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:9  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love,

Verse 10:  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, (How do you stay in love with Jesus Christ?  By keeping His commandments.) just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

You're familiar with I John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  And His commandments are not burdensome.

If you love Jesus Christ, you're going to be walking in His ways.  You're going to be obeying Him.  You're going to be looking to find a way to do the right thing, not looking to see how you can out of doing the right thing, but looking to see how you can do the right thing.

John 13: 33  "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer.  You will seek Me and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come, so now I say to you.

Verse 34:  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  (If you love God, if you love Jesus Christ, you will love His people too.)

Verse 35:  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

This is amplified in:

I John 4:21  And this commandment we have from Him (Here's an order from Jesus Christ) that he who loves God (Jesus Christ too is God) must love his brother also.

So if want to love God, if you want to love Jesus Christ, you should be loving His people too.  Are you willing to lay down your life for them?  John 15:13 says we should lay down our life for others.  How do you do that?  Giving up your time, giving up your efforts on their behalf and we have lots of people in this church that do just that.  They make goodies for you, they set up goodies, they take them down, they're here early, they set up services, even the students set up services on Friday, brethren here take it down and set it up for the students, there are lots of you who lay down your lives for others.  You could be doing your own thing instead of doing things for others, but you do give up for others.  Good for you, that's how you show that you love Jesus Christ.  You speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).  Speak the truth in love.  If you love God and if you love Jesus Christ, and you have the love of God in you, you will speak the truth.  You also walk in love (II John 6).  You walk in love, that will be your way of life, your manner, how you do things, it's out of a loving approach.  We heard from Mr. Phelps in the sermonette, only one aspect of it with long suffering.  If you love others, have that agape love, that outgoing concern and care about them and that you do it for them if you get nothing back out of it.  That's hard.  Human nature says, I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine.  Agape love says, I'll do it for you because your back needed to be scratched, not because I'm asking for my back to be scratched.  I'm not even expecting it.  That's hard, that is the love of God.  That's the love that Jesus Christ wants us to share and have.  By love (Galatians 5:13) by love, serve one another.  By love, serve one another.  The love of God leads us to serve, to help people, to look for ways to help someone, to reach out to them, to help make their day. 

Remember that scripture when I said if you love Him, you'll be loved by the Father.

John 14:21  "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

The Bible talks about Christ in you, the hope of glory.  God has given us so much, God has given us the kingdom.  It is the pleasure for Him to give us the kingdom.  God has given us an opportunity to be a part of that kingdom.  We have eternal life abiding in us even now through the Holy Spirit, just a little bit, in hopes that in one day we'll have it fully.

So I hope I've given you some reasons to love Jesus Christ, I hope I've given you some ways to love Jesus Christ.  You might add more to how to love Jesus Christ.  It is clear to me in my study note, a lot I left out and I've only given some of them because I want to keep on time.  There are a lot of scriptures about loving Jesus Christ and that love of Jesus Christ leads you to love others, leads you to keep His commandments and walk in them, I only scratched the surface on it.  You may find other things to add about reasons to love Him or ways to love Him.  But if I asked you the question in John 21:15, do you love Jesus Christ, what would your answer be?  I agape you, I love you.

Romans 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (So Paul was talking to the church at Rome that had undergone some pretty great persecution and he was talking to them and he said who's going to separate me/us) from the love of Christ?  He goes on) Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (What would it be?) 

Verse 38: (He comes down to this resolve.  He said:) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

Verse 39:  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'm determined that I will never stop loving God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  I'm determined Paul said and with that love, you know the scripture in:

I Corinthians 2:9  "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

I'll close with this scripture:

James 1:12  James wrote a lot about faith.  He also wrote about the trials that we have to help build that faith.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Do you love Jesus Christ?  I hope your answer is a resounding YES!